Stage 9

I rarely find myself at a loss for words, but today I am simply stunned by Stage 9. This Tour continues to be brutal. If anything good can come of these crashes, let it be that we all are more careful and look out for one another.

Let’s look at two take-aways from today’s stage. First, although Garmin relinquished the yellow jersey, it was the right decision. Sometimes you have to know when to stop, and while Thor’s run in the lead was magnificent, it had to come to an end. Pulling the plug when they did saved a lot of energy that will be needed over the next 13 days. Garmin did not give up, they did not quit, but they were able to make the right, albeit difficult, choice in the midst of chaos.

The second take-away is that persistence is rewarded. How many days now has Voeckler attacked? He was finally rewarded with a long day in the breakaway, and, ultimately, the yellow jersey. He said after the stage that he went out looking for yellow. He keeps searching, keeps fighting the good fight, and today he was rewarded. There’s a lesson there for all of us.

Steen A. Rose is an elite cycling and triathlon coach. He started coaching in 2003, and has been an Elite Coach with Training Bible Coaching since 2009. Steen is also captain of the Sun & Ski/Subaru Cycling and Triathlon teams. He has been racing since 1997, holds a Category 1 license, and has 13 state championships, 3 national medals, and 4 international podiums to his credit. He can be reached at srose@trainingbible.com